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3 area teams make NCAAs in men’s basketball

ROC
Published 1:34 p.m. ET March 3, 2014

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The Brockport men's basketball team celebrates after winning the Wendy's Classic Championship in December. The Golden Eagles host Morrisville State in an NCAA Division III Tournament game on Friday.
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JEFF WITHEROW
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Story Highlights

Brockport and Hobart earn automatic berths, while Geneseo is an at-large pick

Hobart must take on red-hot Scranton, winners of 14 straight

Brockport has won four in a row since losing all-time scorer John Ivy to an injury

The College at Brockport may have lost its scoring machine, but the Golden Eagles keep motoring on.

Brockport (24-3) will host a doubleheader this weekend as play begins in the 62-team NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament. The Golden Eagles take on Morrisville State (19-8) at 7:30 Friday, with Hobart (21-6) playing red-hot Scranton (24-3) at 5:30.

The winners meet Saturday at 7 at Brockport’s Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium with a trip to the national Sweet 16 at stake.

SUNY Geneseo (21-6) has made the field as an at-large pick and will play Dickinson, Pa. (21-6) on Friday at Wooster, Ohio.

Brockport has won four straight, including two weekend wins to capture the SUNYAC Tournament, since losing all-time leading scorer John Ivy (East High) to a torn ACL last month.

“Are we as good a basketball team without him?” Golden Eagles coach Greg Dunne said. “I’d be lying if I said ‘yes.’ But we are good enough to beat everybody every night.’’

Brockport rallied furiously from a 19-point second-half deficit to stun Plattsburgh in Saturday’s SUNYAC Tournament final. and earn an automatic bid to the NCAAs —the program’s first since 2009.

Plattsburgh also made the NCAA field.

Ivy broke the Brockport career mark for points (1,683) and was averaging 21.7 points — 17th best in Division III —when he suffered the season-ending knee injury in a loss at Oswego.

“He’s still at every practice and every game,” Dunne said. “He’s a great leader.”

“John is a great player,” the McQuaid graduate said, “but Brockport is solid top to bottom.”

Hobart is in the tournament for the third straight year under Mike Neer, who ended a one-year retirement after a legendary career at the University of Rochester. The Statesmen clinched an NCAA berth by winning the Liberty League title.

Scranton has won 14 straight and captured the Landmark Conference tournament. Morrisville won the North Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $6 (general admission) and $3 (senior citizens, students and youth). Children 2 and under will be admitted for free.

The Geneseo team had to wait and hope after losing to Plattsburgh in last Friday’s SUNYAC semifinals. The Blue Knights gathered in a conference room Monday afternoon and watched a live Internet feed to learn they were in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.

“We were pretty confident we’d get in,” Jones said. “We’re taking it one game at a time now.”

The Division III semifinals and championship are March 21-22 in Salem, Va.